Drier.



. PATBNTBD AUG. 20, 1907 W. ASHLEY & E. J. HULIG.

2 SHEETS-snm 1 N ww DRIER.

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APPLICATION FILED MAI-i. 22, 1907.

W1 YWESSES e l r y' A Troie/v5 YS N0.-863,'830. PATENTBD AUG. zo, 1907. W. ASHLEY & E. J. HULING.

DRIER.

APPLIUATION HLBD $51.22, 1907.

SHEET 2.

2 SHEETS- all EMM A fOYeNEs/S wILLIAM ASHLEY AND E TES! @FFMCEO DMUNDI. HULING, or TRINIDAD, COLORADO.

DRIER.

To all-whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, WILLIAM sHLEY and EDMUND .1. HULING, citizens of the United States, residing at Trinidad, in the county of Las Animas and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Drier," of which the following is a specication. 4

This invention relates to4 machines for drying wool, cotton7 `tobacco and other'material and has for its obj ect to provide means for imparting a spiralmotion to a current of air and. directingthe same downwardly and through different portions of the stock or other matechamber. l

A further object ofthe invention is to provide means -or supplying fresh air to the discharge end of the ma-A chine at a point above the stock or material and direct ing said air downwardly through the stock in the successive drying chambers, and further to provide means for heating the current of air afterI its passage 'through the stock in each chamber.

A further object is to provide a casing or housing having a plurality of drying chambers or sections each provided with a fan and havingl a coil associated therewith, said-fans being disposed alternatelydonppposite lsides of Athe casing for directing the air downwardly through the stock in one chamber and delivering said air above the stock in the'adjacent chamber.

A further object is to provide means for directing the air from the last fan at the receiving end of the machine into a conduit and conducting the `saine rearwardly through the machine so as to permit the same to be again utilized for drying purposes.

Further objects and Yadvantages will appear in the following descriptionLit being understood that various changes in formpproportions and minor details of I construction may be resorted to withinthe scope ofthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings orming a part ofthis i f specification: Figure 1 is a top planviewv partly in section of a drier constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal sectional view taken o n the line 2 2 of FigI 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction ot the arrow. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 4 4 O Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. y I

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding l parts in all of the figures oi the drawings.

The machine includes an elongated casing or housing 5 provided with a plurality of transverse partitions 6 Specification of Letters Patent.

.Application led March 22, 1907. Blerial No. 368,851.

ger of displacing said stock.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

forming a series otdrying chambers or sections indiv cated at 7, 8, 9, 10 and l1.

Mounted for rotation in suitable supports 12 at the opposite ends or' the casing or housing are rollers or drums 13 carrying an endless conveyor or apron 14, the" vided with a slot or opening 16 or the reception of the lower leg of the apron 14 while the upper portions of the several partitions are formed with relatively large openings 16 which are normally closed `by lexible flaps or curtains 17 so as to permit the free passage of the stock on the apron through theseveral sections without dan- Mounted for rotation above the casing or housing at the discharge end oi the machine is a ian 18 the spout 19 of which extends within the drying chamber' or section 7 andserves to supply the drier with iresh air.

Secured to the opposite sides ofthe casing or housing are a pliualityof auxiliary casings or heating compartments 21, 22, 23 and 24 preferably arranged in staggered vrelation with the opposite ends of each compartment over-lapping adjacent drying compartments or sections.

Arranged within the several auxiliary casing's or heatingcompartments are steam coils 25 by means oi which the air from the Atan or blower 18 is thoroughly heated prior to its delivery on the stock.

Mounted for rotation in the lower part of each heating compartment is a fan 27 which serves to impart a spiral motion to the current of air ,from the ianor blower 18 and deliverthe samedownwardly through the stock on `the apron or conveyer inthe several drying chambers or sections. It will thus be seen that the ian 27 in the heating compartment Y21 will draw the air downwardly through the stock on the conveyer in the section 7 and torce the same upwardly` between the heating coils 25 in the compartment 21fro'1n whence it will be discharged through an opening 28 in'the adjacent wall of the casing into'the drying chamber or section 8.

The kheated v air delivered through the opening 28 above the stock in the section 8 will be'drawn downwardly' through theustocl; by the fan in the compara ment 22 and thence pass upwardly through thecoils in said compartment and through a corresponding opening 28 in the opposite side of the casing Sand be discharged above the stock in the compartment 9, the air in the means of which thedischarge oi-air'through the pipe 31 several sections or drying chambers being successively drawn downwardly through the stock in each section in the manner, described. e

Arranged in a casing or housing 29 at the discharge 5 eind o the machine is an auxiliary ian 30 which serves to -draw the air downwardly through the last compartment 1l from whence it is delivered through a pipe 31 tothe atmosphere.

' Mountedin the pipe 31 is a damperor valve 32 by from the compartment '29 'may be controlled, 'or the flow oi air entirely cut off so as to cause thesame to enter the conduit 33. 1

The Iconduit l33 is preferably disposed 'at the topoi the drier and opens into the drying chamber Aor compartment 8 so that *when desired the air from the compartment 29 may be discharged into the-section 8 and used over again. L f

The air in its passage through the conduit 33 is reheated but, iis-desired, suitable heating coils maybe arranged in said conduit to assist in heating the air preparatory `toj dischargi'ng` the same into the drying chamber. f

In'operation the wool, cotton, tobacco or other materialis placed on the conveyer and the latter rotated ""1 irom any suitable source of power so asto cause 'the conveyer to travel through the several sections or drying chambers of the machine, the stock on the apron receiving .the effect ot the blast of air drawn down- -wardlylthrough said sections in the manner before' stated. It will thus be seen that the stock is passed throughsucce'ssive chambers graded from high heat at thepoint of entrance to a kmoderate temperature at the discharge end or point of Yexit thereby thoroughly dryl ing the material and producing a vsott fiber free from harshness.

I 7 By imparting a. Y, y the same blast of air does not come vinto Vcontact with thesame material twice, while by reason of the down- 40 .ward passage oi the air through the several sections the stock is effectually retained in position. on the endless conveyer during the drying operation.

From the foregoing description it thought that the construction and operation ot the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and urther description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is: A 'i i 1. A drier including a drying chamber, an endless conveyer operating within the chamber-'and adapted to receive the stock, means for supplying a current of air tov saidchamber, and means for directing the current of air in a continuous sinuous path and causing it at predetermined intervals to traverse the path of movement of the conveyer always in a downwardly direction.

i 2. A drier including a drying chamber, a conveyer operating within the chamber and adapted to receive the stock, means for supplying a current of air to said chamber, and means for directing the current of air progrcssively and downwardly through the conveyer alter- 'said chamber at natelyM from right to left or vice versa. I

3. A drier including a drying chamber, an endless co'nveyer operating within the chamber `and' adapted to receve'the stock, means for supplying a currentbf/ air to the discharge end of.' the conveyer and above the stock, and means for directing the. current of spiral movement to the current of air .air progressively and downwardly through the conveyer alternately from opposite sides of the chamber. y

4. A drier including a drying chamber provided ,-with a pluralityv of sections, a conveyer operating within the several sections and adapted to receive the stock, means for supplying a current of air to one of said sections above the stock, and means for directing the current of Aair' progressively and. downwardly through the stockl alternately from opposite sides of said sections.

5. A drier including a sectional drying chamber, a con- `veyer passing through the several sections of the drying chambenand adapted to receive the stock,' a fan for" supplying air to one of the sections, means forheating the air, and means for directing the 'current of air progressively and downwardlyy'throug'h the stock alternately from opposite sides of said sec ions.

6.A drier including a casing provided with-a plurality ofdrying chambers, a `-conveyer voperating within the several chambers and adapted .to receivethe stock, meansy for supplying a current 'of air` to onoiof saidchambers, heating compartments disposed in staggered relation on the opposite sides of the casing and 'communicating with adjacent drying `chambers, and means for drawing the air fromT the sour'ce of supply Vdownwardly .through the conveyer in one chamber and discharging the same into the adajacent heating compartment for delivery to the' Achambers,Y heating coils. disposed within the compart- .ments, and means for directing the air downwardly through the conveyer in' one chamber and discharging the same upwardly between the heating coils and thence laterally 'and` downwardly through vthe conveyer the succeeding section.

8. A drier including a' casing having a plurality of drying chambers, an endless conveyer operating-within the several `chambers and adapted to receive the stock to be treated, meansfor supplying a current of air to one end of the casing, heating compartments disposed in staggered ,relation on the ,opposite sides of the casing andA having their opposite ends communicatingwith adjacent drying chambers, and means disposed within each heating'compartment for directing the air `downwardly through the conveyer in one chamber and forcing the 'same through the adjacent `heating compartment for delivery above the conveyer in the succeeding section.A

9.jA drier including a casing provided with a plurality of` drying chambers, aconveyer operating within `the several chambers, means for supplying a current of airA to the casing at one end thereof, heating compartments disposedv in staggered relation on opposite sides-*of the casing and having their opposite ends communicating with adjacent'drying chambers, there being slots formed in the walls of the casing and communicating with adjacent heating `compartmen`ts,. andl means disposed within the heating -compartments for directing the airin one chamber downwardly through the conveyer and forcing the same upwardly through the adjacent heating compartment for delivery through the adjacent slot into the succeeding chamber. v, e

` 10. A drier including a casing provided with a plurality 4of drying chambers, an endless conveyer operating within v the chambers and adapted to receive the stock, means for supplying a current oair 'to one end of the casing, means for imparting motion to the current of air and directing ythe same downwardly' through' the stock in las the several chambers, and means for conducting the i exhaust air from the`lastchamber through the machine and delivering the saine into an adajacent chamber. v

11. A' driery including a casing having a plurality of drying chambers, an.v endless conveyer: operating within the several chambersand adapted to receivey the stock,

means for supplying a current of air to one of said chambers, a plurality of heating compartments disposed on opposite sides of the casing and communicating with adjacent chambers, fans disposed within the heating next succeeding section above thestock, an aux'iliary compartment, a conduit disposed within the' casing and forming la source of communication between compartment and one of the drying chambers, a dis` the auxiliary the foregoing as our own,

,/WILTIAM ASHLEY.

EDMUND J'. H-ULI'NG.

Witnesses:

THOMAS G; CHITTENDEN, A NEWTON C. MCCLURE.

signatures in the presence of 15 

